27/07/2022

President Richichi: “With a temperature of over 40 degrees, Fise (the Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports) and the Sardinian Region should have stopped the race”

IHP has presented a report to the Public Prosecutor’s office at the Court of Oristano to identify those directly responsible for the death of a horse after a show-jumping competition that took place on 24 July in Abbasanta  (Oristano, Sardinia), according to press reports. 

“According to what we learned from the press, an 18-year-old horse named Korona Klaudius died in Abbasanta last 24 July, immediately after a show-jumping competition at around 1 p.m., when the temperature was close to 40 degrees and therefore in utterly impossible climatic conditions for the type of effort required of animals”, says IHP president Sonny Richichi.

“IHP had already protested on 22 July to the FISE (Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports) for having organised numerous horse competitions in various locations in Italy that had been put on weather alert due to the anomalous heat wave during the period in question. The scheduled competitions were still held, however, without any precautions for the welfare of horses, not even trying to avoid the hottest hours of the day”, Richichi continues.  Specifically, the show-jumping competition called “A1 + Tappa Trofeo dei nuraghi – Ambassador”, scheduled to take place from 21 to 24 July in Abbasanta at the Tanca Regia race track, was organised under the aegis of FISE (a member of CONI), by FISE Sardinia and the AGRIS agency of the Sardinian Region”.

“FISE and the Sardinian Region could and should have imposed a stop to all competitions and events until the heat wave ceased. The FISE Sardegna committee could did the same.  But none of these bodies have done anything.  The same owners and jockeys could have freely decided not to put their animals through the excessive effort and risk given by an extremely stressful and tiring competition, the very high temperatures and the actual heat perceived.  What happened cannot be dismissed as a fatality.  We therefore ask the appropriate authorities to identify those directly responsible for the death of the horse Korona Klaudius: those who organised the competition, those who participated, and those who should have overseen the protection of the animals”, concludes the president of IHP.

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